


Quirks

by ilovemyalpaca



Category: Glee
Genre: Angst, Eventual Happy Ending, F/M, Fluff, M/M, infidelity of a sort
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2012-11-25
Updated: 2012-11-24
Packaged: 2017-11-19 11:27:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 2,771
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/572768
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ilovemyalpaca/pseuds/ilovemyalpaca
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Blaine likes counting quirks. Mike Chang has quite a few.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is a WIP originally posted on my Tumblr and transferred here now that I finally have my account. I hope you enjoy as much as I do.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Featuring Mike Chang and The Misunderstanding. Originally posted Sept 21, 2011 to tumblr.com.

Blaine loved quirks. Little things about people that made them who they were, made them individuals. He was a people watcher by nature and thus, finding quirks came easy. Take Jeff for example. He rubbed the bridge of his nose when he was doing math because it helped him concentrate. Or Wes, who had a fascination with wood (that was a gay joke just waiting to happen) that made him run his hands along desks, window sills, and his oh so beloved gavel with almost adoration. Kurt had quirks too, like fiddling with his shirt hem when he was nervous or always peeling the sleeve off of his coffee cup when they went to the Lima Bean.

Lately, Blaine had been watching Mike Chang. The Asian boy was full of interesting things. He put ketchup on top of his French fries at lunch instead of dipping them. He had a myriad of expressions that conveyed his opinions, making words unnecessary. He tapped his feet in a restless way whenever he was forced to sit still. He…

The list went on. One in particular that Blaine had noticed was that he seemed to shy away from physical contact, when it was anywhere near his ribs. When Tina would slide her arm around his waist, he’d maneuver her arm down more on his hips before he settled. What Blaine couldn’t decide was why. Why was Mike so uncomfortable with being touched there, of all places? It wasn’t intimate or anything like that. His only option was to ask if he really wanted to find out.

“Mike? Can I touch you?”

The Asian’s eyes widened almost comically and his cheeks flushed red. When presented with this reaction, Blaine had to recall his choice of words and found himself blushing too.

“I.. I meant.. That’s not… I-“

Mike cut him off with a quiet yes. He looked thoroughly embarrassed but he had agreed. Blaine’s brain sort of went on the fritz for a second and then he stepped forward. “Mike I meant… What…? What about Tina? Because I was talking about this.” He reached forward to touch Mike’s right side, just below his ribs. The Asian boy yelped and jerked away, obviously surprised. He glanced from Blaine’s face to his hand and bolted. Blaine had no idea what happened but he had a feeling things had only begun.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kurt Finds out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Featuring A Broken Hearted Kurt. Originally posted Sept 28, 2011 to tumblr.com.

Sometimes, Blaine wishes he didn’t notice the small things. Like when he had come out to his father and all he could see was the disapprovingly raised right eyebrow or the wringing of worried hands. It had been worse than his mother’s watery eyes and trembling lips and he hadn’t thought that possible. This was another time he wished he hadn’t noticed, though not nearly as extreme.

Now every time he was kissing Kurt, hand resting just on his hip, Blaine would have flashes of that small agreement and his hand would inch up to right under porcelain ribs. He’d imagine it was Mike’s lips and he’d feel a flash of guilt. When did this happen? What kind of scumbag was he? He loved Kurt! And he was NOT a cheater. So why was he thinking of another guy while kissing his boyfriend?

Blaine leaned back with a sigh and looked down at Kurt’s questioning gaze. “Sorry. Just feeling… I don’t know.” He shrugged and sat up, rubbing his face and wondering what to tell Kurt. He couldn’t lie to him but saying this… God this would break his heart.

“What’s wrong, baby?” Kurt sat up too; hand on Blaine’s shoulder, softly, reassuringly.

Blaine shook his head slightly, still not knowing where to begin or end. Maybe it was a conversation for another day, another time. Only then, Blaine would feel like even worse a person. He already sort of hated himself for the idea that was planted there.

Kurt pursed his lips and removed his hand, the bitch face falling into place, the one he used when he was trying to hide how hurt he really was.

“Is this about Mike?”

Blaine’s eyes widened and he turned to look at his boyfriend. That was enough admission for Kurt and he nodded sharply and moved from the bed. He did his best thinking when pacing the floor in front of him.

“I knew it. I kept telling myself I was seeing things; that you weren’t really gazing over at Mike with a look of longing. I lied time after time saying that Mike wasn’t avoiding me or you and that you weren’t doing the same with him. Be honest with me, Blaine. Did you already cheat on me or are you just thinking about it? Because I deserve the truth.”

Blaine mimicked a fish, his mouth dropping open only to close and repeat several times.

“I… Haven’t cheated.” It sounded empty even to himself. He winced and looked over at the boy he’d been so sure he was in love with. There were tears sliding down Kurt’s face already and the boy shook his head.

“So it’s only a matter of time. Get out.” He pointed a finger at the door and Blaine stood slowly.

“Kurt, I don-“

“Get. Out.” The slender boy turned away from Blaine and stared at the wall. Blaine knew when he’d been dismissed. He walked downstairs, waved sadly at Burt, and left.

He didn’t know what was going on, or how to fix this, but he had a lot of thinking to do.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It doesn't get better.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Featuring one Lauren Zizes with Advice. Originally posted Oct 14, 2011 to tumblr.com.

The days following Blaine’s dismissal did not get easier. He had hoped that things would straighten themselves out, that he would find some grand revelation in some meaningless task and he could make it all right. But things only seemed to be getting worse.

In school, his knack for noticing body language and subconscious personality traits was telling him more than he wanted to know. Like how Kurt tilted his body away from him minutely every time they were in the same room. Or Mike’s ever subtle glances in his direction only to very obviously wrap an arm around Tina. The Asian girl seemed to be aware of the situation, too, as she never sent him thinly veiled glares before this whole situation. In fact, he was pretty sure everyone in glee club knew about the whole thing. The rumor mill at McKinley High was a well oiled machine and hushed conversations abounded. As if being fairly new to the school wasn’t bad enough, he was pretty sure ostracization was right around the corner. That is, unless he fixed this somehow.

He sat alone at lunch, Artie offering an apologetic smile before rolling over to sit with the others. This sucked. He knew he should feel heartbroken over Kurt but mostly he just felt lonely. Losing Kurt seemed to equal losing everyone. And he did feel bad for hurting the other boy.

Blaine wasn’t a cheater. Even now, he didn’t consider himself one because he hadn’t done it, but the fact that he even thought about it bothered him. He thought he loved Kurt but apparently not enough to want only him. Did that mean he would love Mike or was he just curious? Was he just going through stupid teenage hormone induced drama? Was it even possible to fall in the forever kind of love in high school?

He sighed and shook the gloomy thoughts from his mind, determined to get through his lunch at least.

“You know, you’re usually supposed to eat the sandwich, not impale it with a fork.”

Blaine turned with wide eyes to find Lauren Zizes sitting next to him, cookie in hand and bored look firmly in place. He looked down at his ruined chicken salad sandwich and then back up to her. His mouth was gaping open and he figured he should say something but he didn’t know where to even start. Why on earth was Zizes, of all people, talking to him?

“You know, you sort of remind me of a goldfish I once had. He always had this dopey, confused look on his face.”

Blaine snapped his mouth closed and fought embarrassment with humor. “Must have been cute.”

Zizes looked away and bit into her cookie. “Not really. Fed him to my cat because he annoyed me.”

This felt like a threat, wrapped in a warning, and topped with a glare. Blaine gulped and looked down at his lunch just to avoid that menacing glower. So this wasn’t a friendly visit then.

“Did Kurt send you or are you just offering to put me down out of the kindness of your heart?” He dropped the plastic fork, sure now that he wouldn’t even be attempting to eat anything today.

The girl looked at him with one raised eyebrow and then gave a semi-shrug. “Even if I’ve left the glee club because they were kinda lame, I still care about them. You hurt one of us, you hurt all of us. This is a friendly warning to watch your back. The Jocks aren’t McKinley High’s most sinister characters.”

Blaine frowned at her and tilted his head to the right a little. “What do you mean?”

The girl stood and sighed, reaching for the apple on his abandoned plate. “Look, whether you like it or not, you’ve just made enemies of the best people on earth. When they’re good, they’re phenomenal but when they’re bad?” She chuckled and took a crisp bite of the red orb before turning to walk away. “Hell hath no fury like a show choir scorned.”


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Really, Rachel always has the Glee Clubs best interests at heart.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Featuring a confident Rachel Berry. (When isn't she?) Originally posted Oct 14, 2011 to tumblr.com.

With the way things were going, the last person Blaine expected to approach him was Rachel Berry. She was Kurt’s self-proclaimed best friend and should have, by all means, been the one urging them all to pick up their pitchforks and torches. Instead, she held out a vinyl record and offered him the smile that everyone had come to know as “run-berry-wants-something-from-you.”

“Blaine Warbler, I’ve come to offer a truce. Figuring that a white flag of surrender was appropriate, I brought you this.”

Blaine raised one triangle eyebrow and reached out for the vinyl. He wasn’t sure what she’d brought him but it was no secret that one of his own quirks was collecting old records. This one proclaimed Dido across the front and he let out a chuckle. She literally brought him a white flag…

“Uh, thanks, Rachel. You’re risking the wrath of Hummel for this? It’s fairly legendary.”

He produced a wry grin and tilted his head to the side, watching her expression. The tiny girl waved it off as unimportant and Blaine didn’t doubt that she had dealt with it many times before.

“There have been many times that we’ve had to get over silly fights and breakups for the good of the glee club. This is just another. Kurt will forgive me. I’m thinking that you and I should do a duet at sectionals instead of Finn and I. He has the power but he just doesn’t quite have the stage presence. Now you would make a perfect leading man.”

Blaine watched the girl pace, her attention no longer on him as she worked out the details in her head. She hadn’t even waited to see if he would accept her offer. He let her get halfway through describing a number that involved raining glitter down from above before he interrupted her.

“Rachel, I appreciate the offer but I’m pretty sure you are the only one that’s going to see it that way. I know how this works. People take sides. I’m not going to cause more division in the club. Thanks but no thanks. Things are bad enough without causing more problems.”

The look of a disappointed Rachel Berry is not pretty, but an angry Rachel Berry? That’s even worse. The small girl huffed out her unhappiness and reached to pull the record back from his hands.

“Fine. I’m taking my gift back then. Don’t ever say I didn’t offer you anything.”

With perfected ease, Rachel stomped away, leaving Blaine morose and humming White Flag. Great. Now he’d have the song in his head all day too.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's time to clear the air.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Featuring Kurt Hummel and a bargain bin. Originally posted Feb 25, 2012 to tumblr.com.

Exactly two weeks after the not-quite-break-up, Blaine awoke with a smile on his face. He had obviously not been completely heartbroken over losing Kurt –something that bothered him nearly every day-but he still felt upset that he’d lost a friend. In fact, he wasn’t sure what all the rules were but it was time to try and straighten things out with Kurt. And on a beautiful day like this one was, Blaine wasn’t going to pass up the opportunity.

The ex-warbler had convinced Rachel to tell him where Kurt was planning on being today. It had only taken two pleases and one puppy dog look before she gave in “for the sake of true love.” He didn’t bother to correct her, thanking her for the information and leaving her house as quickly as he could. The Berrys were having a karaoke marathon and they didn’t take no for an answer if you stepped foot inside their house.

The next step was to track down the elusive ex-boyfriend and offer an apology along with an explanation. Rachel had admitted that Kurt was planning on hitting all the resale and consignment shops with hopes of coming across something unexpected treasure in the form of vintage designs. Blaine knew the routine well from their past and tried three shops before he found Kurt. The slender male was agitated, digging through a bin with determined yet disgusted interest. It didn’t look like he was finding anything promising.

Blaine moved up slowly, reaching out to pick up a blue shirt from the same bin and look at it. “You know, any other person would have given up already. You’ve been through half the items here.” He got the reaction he wanted as Kurt snapped his head up to look at him with a glare. Well, he obviously wasn’t ready to forgive.

“What do you want, Blaine?”

Blaine shrugged one shoulder lightly, looking up at the tense boy. “To explain. To say I’m sorry. You deserve better from me than I’ve given you.” The curly headed boy looked up, his eyes repentant and sincere. He could see Kurt’s posture relaxing a bit, his frown softening.

“Okay. Explain.”

Accepting the terse response, he began. “I… I was never going to cheat on you. I’m not good at romance- I told you that- but I am not a cheater. I wouldn’t have done anything.”

Blaine tossed the shirt back in the bin with a sigh and leaned over on it.

“And I am sorry. It started innocent enough and then I... I lost my mind or something. I had only wanted to see why Mike shied away from all touch on his ribs. And I… I don’t know. It took over my mind. I still wonder. And I screwed things up because I was too preoccupied to pay attention to my boyfriend.”

He looked up then, meeting Kurt’s eyes.

“I never wanted to hurt you but I wanted to ask if it made me a bad person. If I was a cheater just for thinking about someone other than you. You’re… you’re my best friend.”

The last part was quieter than the rest and Blaine wondered if it made him sound weak. It certainly made him feel weak. Kurt simply tilted his head, thinking slowly. Blaine watched each flicker of emotion in those, hoping for forgiveness. He wasn’t sure what conclusion kurt had come to when he started speaking again.

“Okay. So I might have overreacted. A lot. But if you’re having doubts and looking elsewhere, then I don’t regret my decision to break things off. You can’t honestly expect me to stay with you and let you hurt me.”

He looked as if he was about to say more but Blaine cut off the porcelain boy. “No, no. I understand. I didn’t come to ask to have you back. You deserve better than me. Someone who can give you everything you need. “ The curly-headed ex-warbler smiled wryly and held out his hand. “I know I hurt you but can we come to some sort of truce? A vague friendship? As long as we’re not bitter, I’ll take whatever I can get. I meant what I said. You’re my best friend.”

Kurt’s hand felt the same in his as it always had but the situation was different. There was hope tangent in the air for Blaine. Maybe, just maybe, things could get back to a semi-normal state. Then he could work on forgetting a supposedly straight Mike Chang.


End file.
